


Searching for Tomorrow

by rosathewriter



Series: Reggie + Reader [1]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Love, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, Post-Season/Series 01, Reader is a ghost, Reader-Insert, Reggie Has Bad Parents (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie Has a Sibling (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie Needs a Hug (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie-centric (Julie and The Phantoms), Soft Reggie (Julie and the Phantoms), Soft Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27096526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosathewriter/pseuds/rosathewriter
Summary: It's been a few weeks since Julie saved her phantoms from disappearing and Reggie has been feeling very alone. Luke's been spending all his time writing songs with Julie. Alex's been spending all his time having adventures with Willie. No one seems to notice him anymore. When he starts feeling alone, he sits at the beach in front of his former home turned bike shop. One day, someone asks him what's wrong and suddenly he doesn't feel alone anymore.
Relationships: Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina & Reggie, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms) & Everyone, Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms) & Original Character(s), Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)/Original Character(s), Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)/Reader, Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)/Reader, Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)/You, reggie peters - Relationship
Series: Reggie + Reader [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2002885
Comments: 6
Kudos: 93





	1. Chapter 1

Reggie was sitting on the Molina's kitchen counter watching Ray do who knows what on his computer when Luke poofed in.

"Hey! Wanna join me! I'm watching Ray use a computer. It's crazy how much stuff you can do on these things now! Ray just bought a ten pack of socks on something called Amazone-" Reggie was in the middle of saying when Luke interrupted him.

"Sorry, I can't! Julie and I are in the middle of a killer song writing sesh. We can't stop now! I'm just grabbing some snacks" Luke said excitedly.

"You can't even eat, dude!" Reggie groaned. "They're for Julie, dumbass!" He grabbed a banana and some juice before poofing away.

Reggie sighed and went to look for Alex.

'Maybe he'll want to spend some time with me' Reggie thought.

His best friends haven't had much time for him since they found their matches. Don't get him wrong, he's extremely happy for both of them. Luke's songwriting has never been better ever since he met Julie. They make each other so happy and they make each other amazing writers. Not to mention, he'd never seen Alex more happy in his life. Well, after-life. He's so glad to see Alex finally be himself and not hide his sexuality. Ever since his parents refused to accept him, Alex was always afraid to pursue a relationship. But now, nothing was stopping him. Reggie absolutely loves seeing Alex and Willie hold hands proudly and completely free of judgement. Reggie couldn't be happier for all of them, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel a little left out.

Reggie has always been known as the flirty one, the girl-crazy one, etc. While that's the case, he hasn't actually experienced what his best friends are currently experiencing. He's never been in love and lately he's been feeling like he never will. How did his best friends get so lucky?

"Hey Reggie!" Willie said, interrupting Reggie's train of depressing thoughts.

"Oh, hey Willie! What's up guys?" He asks Willie and Alex, putting on a big smile.

"Alex and I were gonna go to the Hollywood sign and hang out on the H. Wanna come?" Willie asked, energetically.

Reggie thought about it, he really did. He would like to spend time with Alex and get to know Willie better.

'I'd feel like such a third wheel. I should just let them have their date.' Reggie mentally decided.

"Nah, you guys go ahead. I got some stuff to do!" He told them.

"Come on, Are you sure? It'll be fun" Alex exclaimed.

Reggie was happy that Alex wanted to spend time with him but he didn't know how to tell him that hanging out with couples makes him feel even more alone.

'That sounds terrible! I'm such an awful friend! Ugh, I'd just bum them out if I crashed their date' Reggie thought before putting on another convincing smile.

"Of course! Go ahead, I'll be fine. I need to practice my bass line for our performance tomorrow." Reggie fist bumped them both before poofing away.

He considered going to the studio, but Luke and Julie were there writing songs. He then considered going back to watch Ray do random stuff but when he went back to the kitchen, Ray was gone. He looked around the house for a bit before noticing that his car was gone.

'Great, even Ray doesn't have time for me!' Reggie thought to himself. With a huff, he decided to go to the beach. His house may not be there anymore, but the area was attached to some good memories (also a lot of bad memories, but he's electing to ignore those for now).

It was almost sunset when plopped down onto the sand and laid down with a sigh. He remembered playing here with his little brother Theo. Reggie would bring him to the beach when their parents' yelling was loud enough to reach their shared bedroom. He would scoop him up and give him a piggy back ride until they reached the sand. Reggie was eight years older than Theo and he was determined to let him stay a child for as long as possible. Reggie didn't have the luxury, having experienced his parents' fights for as long as he remembered.

Reggie wondered where Theo was today. He was only nine when Reggie left him forever.

'He's probably a super successful scientist, living in a huge house with a big family.' Reggie thought with a smile.

Theo was always really smart. He had a passion for science, as could be told by the science kits Reggie got him every Christmas. At nine years old, Theo was already doing field research for fun. He would take the microscope Reggie got him everywhere and examine everything. Remembering his amazing little brother suddenly made Reggie feel extremely alone again. His heart ached when he realized how much he missed his brother.

Reggie contemplated talking to one of his bandmates about his feelings of isolation but how could they be of any help? None of them could understand. Luke and Alex were both only children. They don't know what it's like to lose a sibling. Sure, they both had parents but Alex's parents were the literal worst and Luke was able to get closure with his parents thanks to Julie. Reggie had no idea where his family was and he had no way of knowing if they were okay. More than that, Reggie didn't want to feel like a burden. Luke and Alex were so happy right now and he didn't want to take any of that away. Reggie felt a tear fall down his cheek and he embarrassedly wiped it immediately.

"Are you okay?" someone asked. Reggie gasped at the voice, not expecting anyone else to be around.

He opened his eyes and saw a girl sitting on the sand near him. He looked around for a moment before replying. "Are you talking to me?" He asked, confused.

The girl chuckled. "Who else would I be talking to?" She answered. "You- you're a ghost?" he asked dumbly. "Unfortunately, yes."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reggie meets another ghost.

"Sorry, I'm kind of new to this ghost thing. I haven't met many others." Reggie tells the girl. 

"Don't worry about it. It took me a while to get to used to it too. I died last year. You?" She scooted closer to Reggie and he was able to clearly see her face in the dim light of the sunset. She was really pretty and that made him a little nervous. She had hair just below ears and a warm and welcoming smile.

"Uhh... Twenty-five years ago." He sputtered.

She looked at him, stunned. "Twenty-five years?! What do you mean you're new to this? You should be an expert at being dead by now." She joked.

"Well, technically I died in 1995 but I was stuck in a sort of limbo. I didn't get out until a few months ago." Reggie explained. She nodded, now understanding his initial statement.

After a short, comfortable silence, the girl continues talking.

"So, you never answered my first question. Are you okay? You seemed upset when I first saw you." She asked him with a look of concern.

Reggie cleared his throat, embarrassed at the thought of the girl seeing him cry. "I'm okay. I've just been feeling a little down lately. You know how it is. Feeling alone, missing family. All that ghost stuff." He answers honestly.

"Yeah, I know. It's not really something anyone can easily process. I thought I'd be able to leave my worries behind but they just followed me into the after-life." She replies.

Reggie smiles at her and she smiles back. Her warm smile and understanding of his situation makes him feel less alone.

"What's your name?" He blurts out, after staring at her for a little too long.

"Y/N. You?" She says, still smiling.

"I'm Reggie. Nice to meet you!" He reaches out his hand and she shakes it with a laugh.

"Tell me about yourself Reggie. I've always thought sharing stories makes people feel less alone." She says scooting even closer to him.

"Well, I was seventeen when I died an untimely death at the hands of a rancid hot dog." He exclaims and Y/N bursts out laughing.

"I'm being serious! How did you really die?" She asks. "Umm... I wish I was joking. I was literally killed by a hot dog." He replies.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry for laughing" She says, trying to hold in another laugh.

"It's okay. Now that I think about it, it's actually pretty hilarious. Plus, if I didn't eat that hot dog, I'd never have met Julie." He tells her.

"Ooo, who's Julie?" Y/N asks jokingly. Reggie is slightly weirded out by the notion of him and Julie being together. Julie's like his sister. Not to mention, her and Luke are pretty much perfect together.

"Julie's my friend. My bandmates and I met her after we got out of limbo. She's got the ability to make us visible to living people when we perform our music. We started a band together and we've been doing performances ever since." Reggie explains as Y/N listens intently.

"Well, you've just had such an eventful after-life. All I do is sit on the beach." Reggie laughs and nods in agreement.

"Yeah, it's been pretty crazy. I'm thankful that I'm able to play music again but I still feel like something is missing, you know? My bandmates have all found their missing pieces and I've been feeling a little left out. They're all so happy and I've just been feeling down." He sighs, hoping that he isn't oversharing.

"I get the feeling, Reggie. It's not a bad thing that you aren't always feeling 100% happy. No one is expecting you to." She pats him on the shoulder.

"Everyday, it gets a little better. It might not be better tomorrow, but there'll always be more tomorrows. When I first died, I could barely handle it. I couldn't even visit my family because I was afraid to see how much they were hurting. But now, I visit them at least once a week and I can see that they are healing and that they are regaining the happiness they lost when I left them." She continues softly.

Reggie ponders on her words and gives her a smile. "Wow, you're really wise. That actually made me feel a lot better." He told her and she hummed.

"You should become a ghost therapist or something" he joked and she laughed before playfully shoving him.

"Why don't you tell me more about you, Y/N. I'd love to know more." Reggie said.

"My death story isn't as funny as yours Reggie, it might bum you out." She replied, lying her back onto the sand.

"Well, I guess you don't have to. But I'd still love to know more about you." He followed her suit and lied down beside her on the sand. They both looked up at the darkening sky and she sighed before speaking.

"I had leukaemia." she answered, softly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N tells Reggie about herself.

Reggie turned to look at Y/N, who was focused on watching the stars. “That- that sucks. I’m so sorry.” He says, unsure if it was an appropriate response. 

“Don’t be sorry. I’ve accepted it.” She turned to meet his gaze. “I was on chemo for a while and I got better. But then the cancer came back and my parents could barely afford anymore treatments. Even if they could, my doctor said there was a slim chance that undergoing chemo again would improve my condition.” She opened up to Reggie, feeling comfortable with him, despite having only just met.

“I decided that I was ready to go. Although I was only 16, I lived a really happy and full life.” She shared with Reggie.

“I wanted to give my parents the chance to live their lives without having to constantly worry about me or how they’d afford my treatments. They deserved so much better.” She continued.

“That is incredibly brave. I can’t imagine going through any of that.” Reggie told her. Y/N smiled softly at his response.

“I hope I didn’t share too much. It kind of feels amazing, just letting everything out. I haven’t actually had a conversation with someone in a really long time. You’re really easy to talk to.” She told him.

“You didn’t. I loved hearing your story, it’s beautiful.” ‘Like you’ he thought.

“I think you’re easy to talk to as well. I haven’t actually felt heard in a really long time.” He continued.

Reggie felt a connection with her that he couldn’t explain. He could listen to her talk forever. He secretly hoped that she felt the same way. They ended up talking for hours, sharing their lives with each other until they watched the sun rise over the ocean. He didn’t want to say goodbye, but he knew that Luke and Alex would kill him if he missed their morning rehearsal.

“Y/N, I have to go. But I want to see you again.” Reggie told her as he stood up and brushed the sand from his clothes.

“I’d like to see you again too.” She replied happily. Reggie reached out his hand and helped her up from their spot on the sand.

“You can always find me here.” She said, still holding his hand. Reggie couldn’t help but smile like a dork. “I’ll see you around, Reggie.” She squeezed his hand before proofing away.

Reggie returned to the studio with a dorky smile that couldn’t seem to get rid of. The band quickly noticed his bubbly demeanour.

“Ooo, someone’s happy! Where have you been?” Julie poked him in the side. It was still weird that Julie could touch them now, but he’ll get used to it.

“I was just hanging out at the beach.” He replied, smiling at the ground.

“All night?” Luke added, raising an eyebrow.

“You know what that means, right?” Alex walked up to Reggie and grabbed his shoulders from behind. “Reggie met someone!” He exclaimed.

“Maybe...” Reggie said, blushing furiously.

“Reggie’s got a crush!! Ahhh! How adorable!” Julie squealed. “It’s not a crush! We just met!” He denied, firmly.

“Thats what I said about Willie, dude. Look at us now.” Alex scoffed.

Reggie tried to disagree, but they were right. There was just something about Y/N that made him feel more happy than he’d felt in a long a time.

They kept joking around and teasing Reggie until Julie decided they had no more time to waste. After practice, Alex and Luke went outside to shoot some hoops, while Reggie helped Julie clean up the studio.

“You’re a girl, right?” Reggie asked Julie.

“Uh, yeah, last time I checked.” Julie punched his arm for asking her a dumb question.

“Sorry, phrased that wrong!” They both laughed before he continued.

“I mean, you know how girls think, being that you are one. I want to spend more time with Y/N. What to do girls like to do?” He asked her.

“Reginald! Have you never been on a date before?” She gasped.

“Of course, I have!” He lied. Julie raised an eyebrow before he finally confessed.

“Okay, fine I haven’t. I never really got the chance. I was so busy with the band and then I straight up died.” He told her.

“Well, Reggie. I’m no expert myself. As you probably know, I’ve only had one boyfriend and he’s a legit ghost, so I don’t have much ‘normal’ dating experience.” She explained.

“Right. So, no ideas?” He asked. “Just go with your heart. If you really like her, it doesn’t matter where you are.” Julie told him, before patting his shoulder and getting up to leave.

“That doesn’t help!” He called after her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reggie sees her again.

Reggie felt lighter than air during their performance. Being on stage gave him that amazing feeling again and he felt happier than he'd felt in a long time. He smiled and watched Julie and Luke ooze with chemistry as they belted out a killer duet. He grinned as he looked over at Alex, losing himself in the music and drumming like there was no tomorrow. The love song they were performing caused him to think about Y/N and how she was the reason for this amazing feeling.

After the show, they all went backstage and immediately pulled each other into a group hug. Ever since that night after the Orpheum, group hugs have become their favourite thing to do.

"Reggie, you killed that performance! Your vocals were off the charts and your bass solo! Man that was crazy!" Luke exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders.

Reggie laughed at Luke's enthusiasm. "Thanks, man. I think we all killed it." He replied.

"You seemed pretty happy out there. Thinking about a special someone?" Alex poked Reggie, raising his eyebrows jokingly. Julie giggled and joined Alex's poking.

"Thinking about the mystery beach girl, huh?" Julie added causing Reggie to turn red.

"Mayybeee..." He said in a high pitch and they all laughed.

"Well, don't let us keep you Reggie. Go see her! I'm sure she's dying to see you too. You know if she wasn't already dead." Luke told him with a big smile.

"Are you sure? You guys don't need any help with anything?" He asked.

"Go Reggie! We don't need anything!" Julie assured him. Reggie smiled at his bandmates and gave them one last hug before poofing away.

At the beach, he saw her sitting on the sand, where they met the previous night.

"Hey Y/N!" He greeted her excitedly. She looked up at him and beamed at the sight of his cheerful expression.

"Reggie! How was your performance?" She got up to give him a quick hug. Despite it lasting about two seconds, it made Reggie's heart stop. He composed himself quickly before answering her question.

"It was amazing. It was probably one of my best performances yet. It was unbelievable how amazing I felt." Reggie responded.

"That's incredible, Reggie! I'm so happy for you!" She said, grabbing his arms in excitement.

"It was thanks to you, Y/N. If I hadn't met you, performing might have never me given that rush again. I was feeling alone for a while but then you came along and put everything into perspective. You made me feel heard." He told her, hoping he wasn't being too forward.

She looked up at him, still holding his arms. "Reggie..." She said, almost in a whisper.

"I know we just met, but you make me feel like no one ever has before." Reggie told her, softly.

"I feel the same way, Reggie." She replied, making Reggie's smile brighter than ever before.

She pulled him in for another hug, this time long enough for Reggie to respond. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, as if she would disappear if he were to let go. Her hair, being blown by the ocean breeze, tickled his nose. He chuckled at the feeling before reluctantly releasing her.

"Um... can I like... take you on a date sometime" He said, suddenly hit by crippling shyness. Y/N giggled at his nervous demeanour.

"I would love to go on a date with you, Reggie." She answered, sweetly.

"Oh, thank goodness!" He meant to say in his head. He noticed that it was not in his head when Y/N laughed.

"So, where to?" Y/N asked and Reggie suddenly panicked.

'What the heck do ghosts do on dates?' He thought, nervously.

"Uhh...you know any good ghost places?" He asked her and she chuckled.

"Why don't you let me take the lead on this one?" She said, grabbing his hand. At the contact, Reggie stopped breathing for a second. They'd already hugged twice but whenever she touched him, he became a nervous mess.

She poofed them to a restaurant, not too far from the beach.

"Uh...Ghosts can't eat right?" Reggie asked in confusion.

"This isn't just a restaurant, just wait till we get inside!" She told him excitedly.

They stepped inside the already closed restaurant. The place was dark but there were neon lights creating a purple glow that softly illuminated the room.

"This isn't like any restaurant I've ever seen..." Reggie said, looking around in awe.

"It's a karaoke bar." She said, pointing at the stage and screen at the end of the room. She ran to the songbook and tried to find a song Reggie would know.

"Ooo, that's a classic! Pick that one!" Reggie said excitedly, pointing at a Marvin Gaye song.

"You got it!" Y/N giggled as she input the song into the machine.

"Sing it, Reggie!" She threw him a mic that he caught with grace before belting out Marvin Gaye's part in Ain't No Mountain High Enough. 

Y/N watched him in awe, hearing his singing voice for the first time. He sang amazingly and it filled her with joy. Tammi Terrell's part was approaching so she grabbed a mic and let her voice fly. Now, it was Reggie's turn to be in awe. It turns out that Y/N had a beautiful voice; it was soft and sweet and it resonated wonderfully in Reggie's ears. The duet came up and their voices blended perfectly. Their eyes never left the other's as they sang the song. They began losing themselves in the music and playfully dancing around the stage. Reggie grabbed Y/N's hand and spun her around. Her singing was laced with laughter as she almost fell of the stage. Thankfully, disaster was avoided and Reggie quickly caught her. By the end of the song, they were both out of breath but still laughing in sheer bliss.

"Y/N, you didn't tell me you had the voice of an angel!" Reggie said, excitedly.

"Did ever perform? If not that would be a tragedy!" He asked her, still breathing heavily.

"I could never! That would be terrifying! I just sang in the comfort of my bedroom." She answered.

"You just performed in front of me!" He countered, playfully. "That's only because you could never make me nervous." She replied, smiling. "I feel safe around you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their date was inspired by the cast's adorable karaoke video.


	5. Chapter 5

Reggie and Y/N ended up singing and dancing the whole night. Reggie introduced Y/N to his favourite obscure 90's songs and Y/N introduced Reggie to all the hits he missed during his 25 years in limbo. Together, they felt pure joy. They felt complete. It was only when the owner of the bar arrived when they realized how long they had been enjoying each other's company. 

It was about 5 am and the sun was about to rise again, so the two returned to the beach and sat on the sand to watch beautiful orange sky.

"That was probably the most fun I've had since becoming a ghost. Thank you, Reggie." Y/N said, resting her head on Reggie's shoulder.

After the long night they spent together, Y/N's touch no longer made him nervous, it only made him smile.

"You're welcome! Wait, why are you thanking me? The whole date was your idea." Reggie replied.

"It might've been my idea, but your company made it all the more special." She answered, softly. Reggie couldn't think of an answer. He simply smiled and laced his fingers through hers.

As the two hold hands, they continue watching the sun rise in a comfortable silence. Reggie looks out at the ocean reflecting the orange hue of the sky and a thought pops in his head.

"Can ghosts swim?" He asks Y/N and she giggles at the random question.

"I have no idea. I've never tried it." She replied, lifting her head from his shoulder.

"Do you want to?" Reggie asks, looking at Y/N expectantly.

"You are just so curious, aren't you?" Y/N replies, kicking off her shoes and moving to roll up her jeans.

Reggie laughs and follows her suit, throwing his flannel and leather jacket aside, leaving him in a tank top and jeans. Y/N begins running towards the ocean and Reggie scrambles to kick off his boots to catch up with her.

"Wait up!" He yells after her and she stops right at the shore reaching out her hand. He grabs it and laces their fingers together once again.

"You ready for your first after-life swim?" He asks her.

"Well, we have to see if it'll work first. Come on, let's do this!" She replies, tugging Reggie towards the water.

For both of them, their first reaction was to gasp in both confusion and amazement. The sensation is definitely more weird than anything else. As beings that are mostly intangible, the waves flow right through their bodies but they still feel the water getting them wet.

"This feels so weird! Is this how jellyfish feel?" Reggie asks goofily.

Y/N laughs and replies by scooping up some water and splashing an unsuspecting Reggie. He immediately repays her, splashing her back. Soon, both their clothes and hair are soaking. It made zero sense to them that they were even able to be soaked, but they didn't spend too much time questioning ghost logic. They were too busy having the time of their lives. They laugh cheerfully as they get into a full-on splash fight, which Reggie finishes by hugging Y/N from behind and spinning her around playfully.

When he puts her down, he stares at her for a little too long, realizing how beautiful she looked, glowing in the sunlight with soaking wet hair framing her face. He wants to kiss her so badly but he worries that it's too soon. They had only known each other for a few days but he feels like he's known her his whole life. She makes him feel happier than he's felt in decades. She makes him feel whole again. Y/N sees the hesitation in his eyes and decides to save him the trouble of worrying. She softly places her hands on his cheeks, which were now a deep red.

They look lovingly into each other's eyes and Y/N whispers "Is this okay?" to which Reggie replies, "More than okay."

Their lips finally meet, after what felt like an eternity of anticipation. The kiss is soft and sweet. The perfect combination for Y/N's first kiss. Although she didn't expect it to happen after she had already died, she wouldn't have it any other way. Y/N pulls away and smiles at Reggie sweetly. His hands reach up to meet the hands around his cheeks, interlocking their fingers and bringing both their hands to his chest.

"I'm so glad I met you." Reggie whispers with a bright smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! This was my very first attempt at writing fanfiction. I hope you guys liked it! I wrote this because I fell in love with Julie and the phantoms and I just loved Reggie’s character. I could relate to him a lot, as we are both dumb and can play bass. I had a great time writing this fanfiction and I only hope to improve my writing. I might make more parts to this one or just write an entirely new story. Let me know if you’d like me to continue this fic! Thanks!! ❤️❤️

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and Kudos are appreciated! ☺️


End file.
